Red Letter Madness
by BehindThisFacade15
Summary: Light wasn't the only Yagami to make a deal with a god of death. Rewinding the story for her own purposes, Sayu was determined to change fate. She never expected the 'touch of death' to hinder her sanity so much. Watch as Sayu descends into madness. Because the Death Note world wasn't already terrible enough with one insane Yagami sibling. Genius Sayu. Time Travel.


_**This fanfiction was an idea in my mind for far too long. I had a lot of ideas that didn't want to combine, until it basically just wrote itself. This particular chapter was written in about two and a half days. (With distractions and breaks added, I was basically typing this most of the rest of the time...)**_

 _ **As this is a Death Note fanfiction, I will put a warning that this is supposed to be DARK. It will have darker themes than my other fanfictions. I will always place warnings on chapters if this may affect readers.**_

 _ **Also, this is mostly Prologue/Intro. This chapter spans a gap of thirteen years. (I made Sayu a year younger than she was in the anime/manga) It was made to both highlight the differences between the canon 'pre-Kira' and my own version, as well as the slow descent Sayu takes into insanity. Sayu will NOT be how she was in canon. I hope I made that a little clear with the summary...**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note._**

 ** _~ Facade-sama_**

* * *

Sayu Yagami stood firmly between the platforms of life and death. Her frail form swayed in the unnatural wind, clinging to the thoughts she was having.

 _What if I'd done something different back then? Would my brother still be here?_

Every 'what if' had coated her existence since the ending of the Kira investigation. As a child of thirteen she hadn't known what to look for, but she had once thought her brother was a bit off. And, to be honest, she blamed herself for the ensuing five or six years.

Once everything came to light, and how ironic was _that_ statement, she realized just how bad of a person her brother had become. His ideals had twisted into that of a living monster.

She only knew all these things because of his own vanity. Light Yagami wanted to be known. After Near had taken everything of 'importance' from her brother, she scoured his apartment and the stuff left over. Something, anything, to remember him by. And there it was, a small booklet marked as unimportant by Near because it was blank.

Sayu didn't care. It was _something_ at least.

But it held far more than she realized at first. Within it was a small scrap of a different notebook. So small, so fragile. A sliver, really, hidden in the bindings.

As soon as she removed it, because it was bothering her, text sprouted to life across the pages. It was a journal, locked to any who hadn't touched the 'key' piece in the bindings. Light's writing depicted it as a sort of 'failsafe' most Shinigami didn't use anymore.

And from that day forward, Sayu read through just how everything got started. The journal held his story, his confessions, his thoughts and dreams, his whole life after he found the Death Note. And Sayu read everything. Her brother included the dates and times of his escapades, his thoughts on experiments, and even his opinions of L.

"You have yet to move on. Is there something holding you back?" The question was asked by a skeletal figure that towered over her weary form. He had several lengths of chain on, glinting silver in the unnatural luminescence.

Sayu gazed at him with world-weary eyes. Her soul had completed its lifespan, ready to be off wherever souls were meant to go. But Sayu herself was not ready. Not completely.

"You are a Shinigami aren't you?" her question was rhetorical but none the less answered by the large figure.

"Yes. My kind have watched – and caused – the passing of souls for many millennia. It just so happens I found you here, at the edge of the Shinigami realm, teetering between life and death. It is an unusual occurrence. Something that hasn't happened since before the fall of Rome. I was interested instantly."

"I don't want to move on. There are so many things I wish to have stopped that I was too innocent to notice. Tell me, Shinigami-san, is there no way for me to do so?" Sayu turned her eyes to him, watching as he evaluated her, down to her very thoughts.

"You were involved in all of Ryuk's shit years ago, weren't you, Sayu Yagami?" The question took her by surprise, but the fact he knew her name really didn't. After what Light had written about Shinigami there wasn't a lot that could bother her anymore.

"Yes. My brother acquired Ryuk's notebook nearly sixty years ago and caused so many problems for our world. I want to go back. I would give anything to do so." This statement rang with so much truth the Shinigami King began to truly ponder the difficulty of such an endeavor. As the King of Death and all that that title entailed he had certain liberties not afforded to many regular Shinigami.

One of them was power to send souls to heaven, hell, or to be reincarnated. For the last one, usually he would ensure each soul was 'cleaned' of past memories and sent into the next part of the time stream. This was to make sure no loops occurred, and all the souls were 'innocent' upon rebirth. Also, the 'touch of death' acquired from entering his realm dissipated because of his care.

There were always exceptions, of course. Some people managed to unlock tragic memories prior to rebirth, and one person had even retain the 'touch of death'. Beyond Birthday had been an odd man, even for the King's standards. The 'touch' he retained was what awakened the Shinigami eyes in his human body without a deal being struck.

"You would give anything, you say?" He had to make sure she wanted this. It was a deal like any other he had made in his 'life'.

"Yes, anything. If it is in your power I ask you to do it."

"If I do this for you, Sayu, you will be reborn as your old self. This would be the last chance you have of turning things in your favor. However, with your memories intact you will also retain something called the 'touch of death'. It's because your human soul has been to my realm and not 'cleaned' like all others are, that you will be condemned to have the eyes of a Shinigami from the cradle to the grave."

Sayu knew what the eyes could do. What they would mean for her, seeing everyone's death date for the rest of her life. It was something she knew she would never have traded for if the stakes weren't as high as they were now. "What's the catch?" Because she knew there was one, even though the Shinigami eyes already seemed like a down-side.

The tall Shinigami gave her a skeletal grin before continuing. "If I do this for you, you agree to become a Shinigami yourself after your death. You will be turned slowly, painfully, into a separate being than what you have known. And you will live for eternity under my rule as one of my own."

Sayu wanted to scream at the Shinigami. Become one herself? She had lived long enough to know regret like an old friend. She knew if she accepted she would live forever under the Shinigami's rule, watching listlessly as humans went about their daily lives. Would live while being forgotten on earth after a mere hundred years. She had seen it happening for herself. The era of Kira floated into the background, all the sacrifices made during the case forgotten. Her _father_ was forgotten. Her brother just a mark in the pages of a history book.

 _But, what if…_

That blasted start to her next string of thoughts made her pause in realization. _WHAT IF._

Sayu turned to look the Shinigami King straight in his non-existent eye-sockets. He was looking back at her expectantly, knowing the tantalizing offer that dangled in front of her was too much for her to reject. Even if it would ultimately benefit him the most in the long run.

Sayu Yagami stood firmly between the platforms of life and death, making a deal with the King of the Shinigami. Bartering with the Death god for her very existence.

And the unnatural wind blew past her.

* * *

Sayu's eyes opened widely to a fresher world than the one she had left behind. It felt 'cleaner' than ever, especially when she spotted the fuzzy form of her elder brother peaking in on her baby body.

Five-year-old Light Yagami held none of the disposition he would gain after attaining the Death Note. For her first year of life he was a constant presence. When her mother couldn't look after, her brother would. He was a sweet, doting older brother. But his intellect was already gaining notoriety within higher circles. Standardized tests placed him in the highest percentile of his grade. Their parent's singled him out for it.

And that was when the divide between them began. Though it certainly wasn't strengthened by the aversion Sayu held for the red symbols above everyone's heads. Because she was forced to look up to see people most of the time, it was hard for her not to grimace when they appeared in her line of vision. She spotted Light's reaction to that more than once.

And she ignored it in favor of learning to walk.

After her second year she brought several papers to her mother. Most of them were forms for special preschool courses. Things children her age could do before they entered the normal system at age five. But a lot of them were 'advanced', her mother tried to explain.

"And pretty girls like you should not be taking courses on fighting." Her mother was stubborn on the matter.

Her father, world weary as he was from his police work, managed to convince his wife otherwise. So 'quiet, obedient, and smart' Sayu was allowed to enroll with three and four-year-olds in the subjects she wanted.

Previously, when she had looked back on her life, Sayu always regretted not learning certain things. Kendo and karate were two of them. Languages was another. Because of high school she had become decent at English. But Sayu found herself bored after two years of nothing. She wanted to learn. Wanted to grow a bit before she was forced to deal with the Kira case once more.

It had been hard enough seeing her entire family alive and happy once again. It was even harder knowing that when they died this time around there was no second chance waiting for her between life and death.

Even with the morbid thoughts, Sayu excelled in all subjects. She studied English (just to have an excuse for her knowledge), Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish, as well as karate and kendo on alternating nights. And she lost herself in the classes (even if they were a bit boring because they were geared towards the young).

Unintentionally, by the time she entered her first year of schooling she had garnered the attentions of others as an 'up-and-coming prodigy'. Almost exactly what her brother had been shown to be. But she had a quieter disposition, more introverted.

The red symbols didn't help her at all in making friends.

"Yagami-chan, you are wanted down at the principal's office." Her teacher's voice broke her out of her own thoughts. Five-year-old Sayu nodded in acknowledgment and gracefully walked out of the classroom.

 _If there was one thing all the martial arts courses were good for it was getting rid of my clumsiness._

The kendo and karate lessons had toned her body, trimmed some of the baby-fat, and made her look like a very fit five-year-old. The language lessons had helped her too, in a way. It was nice being able to curse at people occasionally, even if they didn't understand the insult.

Sayu met her principal with a bow. "Yagami-chan," he smiled down at her form from behind his massive desk. "Thank you for coming down. Your sensei has noted your disinterest in all subjects and your incredible knowledge on tests."

Sayu said nothing. It was true that she was incredibly bored in school. She had gone all the way through graduate school in her former life. There was nothing this place could teach her that she didn't already know. She tried to hint at it by bringing incredibly high level books into the classroom. On one particular occasion last week her teacher had tried to take her reading materials. Sayu had politely read a section and explained its contents so the teacher would know she wasn't just faking during classes.

 _That's probably what got me sent here._ She thought to herself. _But I don't care. I need to learn more if I'm going to be of any credible help when I'm thirteen._

And that was her ultimate goal. She didn't much care if the adults around her branded her as a genius as long as she was deemed able to give help later on during the Kira case. She was not going to waste this second chance.

 _Especially after what I had to trade for it._

Sayu stared at the test the principal presented her with. It was several pages long filled with every topic she was currently learning about in school.

"I just want to see where you're at. Don't worry, Yagami-chan, it's just a small placement test." His words did nothing to stop her from panicking. This had never happened to her brother let alone her in her last life. As far as she knew, Light was never advanced in the grade levels as a child. He graduated high school at eighteen like all of his peers.

 _And then he aced the entrance exams for college. But that's beside the point. I've already shown too much to stop now. I can't throw this test without looking really bad later on._

So Sayu took the test presented to her.

It was very easy for the first few pages. As the test dragged on it got progressively harder to complete. But Sayu soldiered through all fifteen pages within an hour all while the principal took her completed pages to grade as soon as she finished them.

Didn't really matter, though. Sayu knew she got all of them correct. Even the last few that had to have been middle school material.

Once she was done, the principal turned proud eyes on her form. "Very good, Yagami-chan. You didn't miss any of them. And that last page was not something you would learn at my school. Would you wait for a moment? I have to go get something for you."

Sayu sat there for a good few minutes wondering just what she had gotten herself into. The principal came back with another stack of papers. This time, though, there was something different about his demeanor. He seemed excited. Almost bursting with it.

"Yagami-chan, these papers are the entrance exams to Azabu Academy, the prestigious private school several streets down. I have a copy for you to complete. If you pass you can move into classwork that might challenge you a bit more." He was grinning from ear to ear, looking at her as one would a cure for a terrible disease. At her lack of reaction he dimmed a bit. "I know Azabu is a middle school, but you should give it a try."

It took her another hour and a half to complete the exam. Which impressed the principal seeing as how the entrance exams were anywhere from two to three hours long at most schools. He took the papers, signed a form to put on top, and smiled at her again.

"Now, Yagami-chan, I'll run down to the school to turn these in for you. For now, though, you should go back to your classroom." He ushered her out of his office and pointed her down the hall. Sayu sighed and did as she was told.

Her mother got a letter in the mail the next day.

Sachiko Yagami was ecstatic. At first she thought the acceptance letter was for Light. He was in his fifth year of elementary. It wasn't unheard of for kids to skip straight to middle school from his age. But then she read just who the letter was pertaining to.

"Sayu! Please come down here!" Her mother's voice rang up the stairs.

Sayu obeyed, even though she was a bit annoyed. She had gotten home from another useless day of elementary school not ten minutes prior. But she did have a good idea as to what was going on at least.

"Sayu! You took an entrance exam to Azabu?" Her mother was definitely surprised at this. The principal hadn't informed her of anything, then.

Sayu nodded cautiously. _Would okaa-san even let me go to middle school as a five-year-old?_

"And you passed with some of the highest grades they'd ever seen?" Sayu nodded again, even though she was surprised by that news. Maybe she could just play the genius gene off as a 'sibling' thing. Light was smart enough himself.

"May I go, kaa-san?" she felt small and helpless in this body. She could only hope against hope that her mother would agree. She needed some form of distraction. _Please say yes._

* * *

Sayu was new to the uniforms of Azabu Academy. She had never even dreamed of the chance to enter a school of such high standing, and thus missed out on the chance to wear some very nice red and black skirts and jackets. Of which they had had to specially order for her small stature.

 _It's so aggravating being short._ She thought to herself. _And not just because of the depressing red symbols._

Her walk through the halls to get her schedule was arduous. Too many people, too many voices, too many obstructions. She was terribly annoyed by the time she had acquired said schedule from her new principal.

At the end of the day – after being stared at incredulously by every single one of her classmates – Sayu was done. Completely done.

But this school also required all students to participate in an after-school club of some sort. Didn't matter which one, as long as she was a registered member she would be just fine. She had a week to find a suitable club. But Sayu knew instantly just what club she wanted to join: kendo.

For three years she had begun her journey to learn a very interesting art. One she had not done in her previous life. Something she enjoyed immensely.

She even had her own shinai – her nicely balanced wooden practice sword. _Now I just need to get the club to let me in as a member._

Sayu walked calmly in to the dojo, placing her shoes by the door as was expected. There were only a handful of people practicing. Seven in total, and one teacher observing. She watched them all for a little while before she was spotted by the teacher. He frowned at her obviously small form. But Sayu didn't let that bother her.

"I'm Kai-sensei, what're you doing here, little one?" He bent down to her level and used that stupid grown-up voice mostly reserved for unintelligent children.

Sayu couldn't help the scowl on her face. "I am Sayu Yagami, the newest student of Azabu Academy. I formally request to join this club." She added a small bow as she spoke, hoping that would help convince him.

"I heard about you. Didn't expect you to be so small though. So you want to join. Have any kendo experience, shrimp?" He towered over her once again as he stood up.

Sayu nodded and pulled the large bag off her back to show him her shinai. "I have been practicing for three years, sensei."

He looked over her equipment before nodding at her. "Fine. Looks like you might just know what you're doing. But I'll have to test you out for the first week or so. Just to see where you're at."

Sayu nodded again before giving a small smile. While it may not have been so in her first life, kendo was becoming a little more than a hobby for her.

 _We'll just see where it goes from here._ She decided.

* * *

It really didn't bother her too much that Light was still the most 'loved' child of the Yagami family. Even with her elevated status to 'genius five-year-old' it was still her older brother that got the most attention from both of her parents.

Which was fine, really. Even if it hurt a little inside to know they favored one child over the other. It hadn't been as apparent in her last life, mainly because of her lack of intellect. But at least it wasn't causing strain between her brother and herself. His outgoing personality made it hard for him to hate her, and her him. She always adored Light when she grew up the first time. Before everything went to hell.

The favoritism also afforded her more freedom than her brother. With both her parents following Light's every move she was able to have all the alone time she wanted. Enough that she managed to create a decent duplicate to Light's journal, written in coded Mandarin.

And that was another thing. She achieved master's level with Mandarin, English, and Spanish by the time she reached six. It took her a while to switch into other language courses, but her mother eventually enrolled her in Italian, German, and French. She was aiming for mastery in those languages by the time she was ten.

Her kendo sensei was surprised at her level of abilities and profusely trained her throughout her first year in middle school. During practice was the only time she let her thoughts calm down. It was also the one time she let all her worries go, if only for a little while. It was all worth it in the end. Her sensei enrolled her in her first competition at six-years-old. The other middle school students competing didn't take her seriously until she made it to the semi-finals. Even then, winning the trophy was easy because of her size. There was less of her to attack, and more of them for her to go after.

She was exceptionally proud of that trophy. It was one of the things she hadn't believed herself capable of in her previous life. But when she showed her mother, her mother's eyes shifted away uncomfortably. It seemed that even after all this time her kaa-san was still uncomfortable with a girl doing kendo.

When she showed her father it was much the same, except his eyes shifted to Light instead. As if he were asking himself why his son hadn't done it.

In a fit of childish rage – she had them even if she was ashamed for her actions – she hid the trophy in the deepest part of her closet. But she refused to let that hamper her thoughts of kendo. As long as her parents didn't actively try to sabotage her favorite pastime she wouldn't retaliate at them.

* * *

"You're almost finished at this Academy, aren't you, shrimp?" Her sensei asked as he watched her repetitive practice.

"Yes, sensei. This is my last year here." She was seven now. Still no taller than her sensei's waist though. And that irked her more than he would ever know.

"You said you had a brother. He didn't end up taking the exams here, did he?" Her sensei was hoping for another Yagami sufficient at kendo for the next three years. Unfortunately her brother had opted for the same middle school she remembered he had attended in her last life. It was as prestigious as Azabu, and it didn't have his younger sister at it.

"No, he took the exams elsewhere, Sensei," she answered quietly.

Kai-sensei ran a hand through his hair in annoyance before sending her a smile. "That's too bad. I was hoping to meet this brother you mentioned on occasion."

Sayu gave him a small smile of her own. Despite herself she couldn't help that bit of jealousy that crept up whenever someone wanted Light more than herself. It had happened a lot lately, and Sayu was unsure what to do. This had never occurred last time, but she couldn't help it. She didn't have the same friends, the same timeline, or the same disposition as the last run through of her life.

It really sucked sometimes, knowing the future and having to live day-by-day to get there. Like she had been stuck on the slowest train possible.

Kai-sensei was her only friend, really. He took her seriously and taught her an art form she hadn't been able to learn before. He also listened when she talked to him. Actually listened, not do that 'pretend' thing that most adults did around her. It was nice.

"Keep working, shrimp. Muscle memory isn't learned in a day." He walked away then. And Sayu felt the void between them. It probably wasn't her that was worrying him so much. _It has to be something at home._

Even that deduction didn't help her feeling of helplessness at the silence between them. Whatever was going on, she just hoped it wasn't a big problem. Because right now, he was basically her backbone. She wasn't as happy-go-lucky as she used to be. No middle school kid wanted to befriend the 'genius freak', so her social skills had been dampened. Her personality reverted to that of an introverted, silent, observant girl.

Sayu worked on her form while she thought things through. Her arms burned from holding the shinai for so long. But she wasn't about to give up. The burn of exercise always gave her somewhat better focus. A far cry from what she used to do at this same age.

* * *

Sayu aced the exams for Tozuki High School. It wasn't the same one she knew Light would enter in a few years, but it was the school she had always wanted to attend. Very high end, respectable, and extremely tough. Sayu was excepting to have to push her knowledge if she wanted to complete her schooling here.

But that was the reason she chose to attend. Tozuki would help her credibility when it came to the Kira case. That didn't mean she wasn't bullied at all for her troubles. A lot of the students, prideful as they were about their abilities, looked down on her for getting in at such a young age. Already there had been one requested interview from a news station. Her academic abilities had gained even more notoriety than her brother.

Light was still testing into the top percentile of his grade for standardized testing. That really didn't surprise Sayu one bit. But it made her parents happy with his success. She was mainly just an afterthought.

She was eight now. Taller than she had been, but the kendo club was hesitant to take her. Two things made them change their mind: a glowing recommendation from Kai-sensei, and her first place trophy from middle school. And even then there was still some dissent among the ranks of members when she joined.

Karate had taken a back seat to her kendo practices and school studies. Even then, Sayu always made time to sneak out of the house every once in a while. Her parents didn't notice when she slipped out her own window to explore the city.

She was very careful with where she went. Never too close to the red light district, or the back alley ways she remembered were a cesspool for criminal activity. As an eight-year-old – with a mind much older – she knew never to leave without a weapon. More often than not it ended up being her shinai (a newer one now that she'd reached high school). After all, the weighted wooden weapon was an effective deterrent to those that still wanted to bear children, or do any act thereof. She was short enough that a whack to that part of the body was the easiest move to make. And she was not above doing it if need be.

At least her stealth skills took a major boost with her repeated excursions. She would need all the skills she could acquire to succeed later.

"What are you doing?" the questioner's voice cracked near the end. Thankfully it was too young to have been her father.

Sayu pulled the rest of her form through her window. She unstrapped the shinai from her back (the only place the long wooden object would actually fit) prolonging the time she had before an answer could be spoken. Obviously her brother had caught her while she was out. She didn't think he had told kaa-san or tou-san. Otherwise one of them would be her interrogator.

"Brother, I needed time to myself." Her eyes refused to meet his own. No matter which life she was in, she didn't want to disappoint her older brother. His features always turned into a frown that cut to her soul.

"And you couldn't get that in your room?" He turned her around to face him, tilting her head to forcefully look into his eyes.

"Sorry. I just didn't want to be in the house for a while. You know how mom and dad are." She tried to appeal to their sibling bond. He was the one who had to deal with their attentions most of the time anyway. He could probably relate to her statement more than she could.

Light sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You're eight, you shouldn't have to deal with that yet." But his eyes showed her he understood. The both of them were too smart for their own good. Sometimes ignorance really was bliss, because the knowledge of what was going on didn't necessarily mean you could stop it. She knew that information drove them both crazy. Light continued. "And you shouldn't be out there at night. There's too many criminals on the streets, Sayu! You're so small they'd take you in an instant. Don't you understand?"

Sayu looked down at her feet, mainly because she no longer wanted to see Light's red numbers. And because she was pissed. Did he think the martial arts training she was taking was useless? Between that and kendo, as well as the small alley ways she now knew by heart, she could probably get away from attackers without too much of a problem. "But that didn't happen. I'm fine, Light."

He looked at her, disgusted for a single instant. And then his mask was up. The one he usually wore around both their parents as well as the rest of the world. _He's shutting me out. What the hell!_

"I didn't think you of all people would be this stupid, Sayu. I know I could stop you if I wanted to. But maybe this is one of those things you need to learn for yourself." He turned on his heel and left her room. The slam of the door held more finality than anything she could remember. Because at least in her first life she hadn't known when he shut her out.

 _Ignorance really is bliss. Being a genius sucks._

* * *

At age nine Sayu placed second in the high school division for kendo. The trophy she brought home was bigger than the last one, but her parents were hung up on the tennis tournaments her brother was competing in. She went to a few of his matches, just to be supportive, but she still couldn't help the tendrils of jealousy when she turned to find no family cheering for her after a kendo match.

It ultimately fed her intellectual ambitions. The jealousy pushed her to go farther, be better than Light. She took several specialized six-week courses on various subjects ranging from criminology to politics. Her favorite had been the computer courses on programming. Ultimately, though, her lack of friends made it easier to succeed, easier to lose herself in all of the information she was cramming into her brain.

Her language lessons switched again. She had mastered German, French, and Italian. Sayu's mother reluctantly enrolled her in Korean, Russian, and Arabic. Sayu drove a lot of her teachers insane by ignoring them in class in favor of books she ordered on the internet. Most of them in languages none of them knew.

They thought she was messing with them until Sachiko Yagami explained to the principal just how many languages her daughter knew. It was one of very few times Sayu heard her mother gloat over her daughter and not her son. Light only studied English, and, even then, only because the criminology courses he was aiming for had a lot of informative books originally published in English. That and he had to know at least one other language before graduating.

Despite everything, Sayu managed to make at least one 'friend' throughout all the shit going on. It happened by accident. But Sayu would eventually look back on that particular afternoon with satisfaction.

Sayu was walking home from Tozuki that afternoon. Her club ended later than most, but the practices were always insightful. Even if all she wanted to do was bathe away the sweat.

A scuffle in one of the alley ways alerted her to the altercation. There were three boys, two beating down the third for whatever reason. Big guys, too. All three wearing high school uniforms from the school she knew Light would be attending next year. And all three of them were at least two feet taller than her.

Sayu dropped all of her bags at the entrance of the alley. With quick precision born from repetitive practice, Sayu brought out her wooden shinai. The noise drew the eyes of all three males.

"What's this, some little girl coming to your rescue, Kuro?" the first male sneered as Sayu advanced on him. He dropped 'Kuro' onto the dirty alley ground.

"Should we teach this chick a lesson, too, Nabuki?" his compatriot asked with a vulgar smirk. "She has a high school uniform on, must not be too young for us."

'Nabuki' grinned eagerly. His eyes glazed over with disgusting traces of lust. _I'm fucking nine years old assholes. There's no way in hell you'd ever get away with doing that shit._

The male 'Kuro' that they had ruffed up a bit got to his feet carefully. She could see the pain and rage in his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to take these guys out, but they had probably gotten the drop on him before trying to beat him to a pulp.

Kuro's distraction lasted merely a fraction of a second. But the instant 'Nabuki' and his cohort turned around to check the noise Sayu was on them. She swung her shinai like an avenging angel, hitting them with the weighted end in the stomach, the ribs, and the neck. When they tried to recoil from the blows, she decked them in the head. As a small child training in the 'big leagues' of kendo, speed had been her main focus. It paid off in spades as she managed to do all this without getting hit herself.

She accidentally got blood on her shinai from the head wounds though. Which sucked, because now she would have to work her ass off to clean it.

Kuro fell over from both his wounds and his surprise. The tiny girl with the wooden stick had taken down two guys almost twice her size. Without his help. "Hey, what's your name?" he staggered to his feet again, ignoring the bruising in his midsection.

She gave him an appraising look while packing away her equipment. _Seems like he'll be just fine. Glad I won't be him tomorrow morning though. That's going to suck to wake up with._ There was already a purple bruise decoration his face. A couple more on his arms. And probably many more painted across his midsection.

"Looks like you're just fine, then. Well, now that the trash has been dealt with, I'll be on my way." She picked up her bags and sauntered away from the alley. With his lack of coordination, the guy was unable to follow her as she went home that night. But that was by no means the last time she saw him.

* * *

Another useless day of high school passed her by. As she exited the gates at around four thirty she noticed a congregation of males from the same school as the guys yesterday. In fact, the guy nearest to her looked familiar.

 _Shit. Why'd it have to be him?_

"Hey! Finally. Thought we'd have to wait here forever." Kuro approached her with his group in tow. Sayu's fist tightened on the strap of the bag holding her shinai. If these guys tried to do anything she didn't like they wouldn't enjoy the repercussions.

Sayu stayed silent, even as the male was only about two feet from her. "Figured out the school by the uniform. Knew you'd have to leave it some time. Midori, this is her." He looked over at 'Midori' before gesturing to her. "I know she's not much, but damn. She took out Nabuki and his friend lighting fast yesterday."

She turned her own eyes towards the assessing gaze of 'Midori'. Whatever it was that he saw he must have liked. He smirked at her. "Wish I could have seen it, Kuro."

Sayu adjusted the straps of her bags and glared back at Kuro. "What do you want?"

Her first spoken question issued various reactions from the group. Some ranged from surprise at her audacity to smug approval of her forwardness. Sayu didn't much care if she was being rude. Kuro wanted to talk to her, after all. Not the other way around.

Kuro smirked at her. "Just to repay a debt. Nabuki wouldn't have thought twice about skewering the leader of his rival group."

Sayu's eyes narrowed. Kuro hadn't said 'gang', but she bet that's what she had gotten into yesterday evening. A gang retaliation. _This sucks. If I hadn't have had such a bleeding heart yesterday this wouldn't be happening._

While her mind had wandered, Kuro began to escort her off campus. And while she was a little weary of the implications surrounding this situation, she went along with it. No use trying so escape five guys that had longer legs than herself. _I hope I get home for dinner on time, though. Otherwise this could be a big problem._

The apartment building they brought her to was not what she was expecting. The apartment itself was roomy and comfortable enough for all five teenagers as well as herself. She sat down on the couch after little prompting. The other guys took up various positions around the room. Kuro sat directly across from her on a small cushioned chair. His eyes locked on her form and didn't look away.

After several intense moments of staring, he cleared his throat. "Sayu Yagami. Prodigy in kendo, as well as several mastered languages. And only nine years old." She twitched as he told her her own name. Not that someone couldn't have just gotten it off the internet.

 _He already saw my face and my uniform. My kendo skills were also on display last night. If he searched the school name as well as kendo members he could have attained the information rather easily._

"I was saved by a fucking kick ass nine year old." He said with a smirk. "A genius at everything. And now, I want you in our group." His smirk turned feral. There was something not quite right about the other. _Especially since he's offering it to a damn NINE year old. There's obviously a catch somewhere._

"What do stand to achieve from my membership?" Her voice was flat, icy.

"I want you to shake down people for me. You may not be much now, but after some of my Nakama train you up you would be like our own personal ninja."

So there were others. He probably only ran the small contingent here in this area of Kanto. There had to be a bigger, older person running this whole operation. And she was expected to _learn_ from these people. _Even though the idea of becoming a ninja sounds amazing. It would help me in four or so years when shit begins to hit the fan._

"You will have people train me in stealth?" Her eyes locked onto his once more. The shit-eating grin he sported made her know that he knew just how tempting the offer really was. He nodded to her. "On one condition. I want you to give me an alias and forget ever knowing my real name. I want to be known as something other than Sayu."

Kuro smirked. "Of course. I hereby dub you the Shi no Tenshi. Our little Angel of Death."

Sayu nearly shuttered at the new moniker. Something she knew she would come to hate with time. Especially considering the deal she made with the King of the Shinigami. _But if I have to get my own hands dirty to save Light from a life of pain and death then so be it._

It would be the second time in ten years that Sayu made a life-changing deal for the sake of her older brother. In that instant she became what he hated the most, knowing that the skills she would learn were the only way to save him from himself.

She ignored the growing part of herself that was jealous of him, that wanted him to crash and burn.

* * *

Sayu came home exhausted every evening at seven. Her mother had given up asking her what was going on, her father, gone for the most part, had no voice in the matter. Often she would crash into bed after eating the food her mother had left her. This occurred all through her last two years of high school. Before she knew it graduation day was upon her.

They had to bring her a stool for the valedictorian speech. At eleven, even as fit as she was, there was no way she reached past any of her fellow students' midriffs. It was an embarrassing fact.

Her high school kendo sensei stood proudly for her in the second row. Her family was much further back, but still attending for her. She preferred her sensei's presence, though. Not that she would be telling her family that.

Light had some flowers for her. But she could see past the gesture to the boiling envy underneath. At eleven years old she had beat him to graduation. He still had two more years to go before it was his turn on the stand. It was like she had stolen his thunder or something. _Isn't it already enough for him that kaa-san and tou-san love him more than me?_

Sayu took the flowers with a smile, part of the mask she had constructed to place a buffer between herself and her family.

They ate at her favorite restaurant that evening. All the while Light looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. The jealousy she had was quickly turning into rage at his utter disrespect for her.

Sayu snuck out again that night, like she had been apt to do before her stealth training had started. She was brimming with excitement despite the terrible evening, because she had also graduated from her stealth program. Tonight was the night she would get to prove herself.

* * *

The news the next morning reported a massive homicide. The likes of which never seen before in Kanto. Sayu sat eating her breakfast as the anchor explained that the entire gang 'Black Death' had been murdered the night before. Each member had been identified by the small tattoo of a skull they had in various locations on their bodies.

Pictures of Kuro and his friends painted the screen. The only notable piece of evidence they found was the written words on the desks of most of the victims.

'Shi no Tenshi'.

Sayu may have become close to the gang throughout the last two years. But the fostered hatred she felt when they treated people not their own in nasty and vulgar ways grew until she knew what she had to do. The hardest part of the whole operation was the time constraints she had in which to complete it. But she managed to get all the major contributors to the gang, including the leader of the Kanto region. Black Death would not be able to gain a foothold in Kanto for the next few decades.

At that thought Sayu ran to the bathroom to throw up. All of the killings were finally catching up with her conscious mind. _I guess I'm not as impassive as I thought I was._

Sachiko sent her to bed, thinking it was some sort of cold she may have caught. Light gave her a questioning glance before her door shut. He _knew_ she wasn't sick, but maybe she could play it off as being disgusted at the images shown about the murder on the television.

Sayu honestly didn't care what he thought about her anymore though. _I'll step in to have fun when he gains the notebook. But at this point, I may just watch as he runs himself into the ground. L better catch his ass this time around, though. Near doesn't need to get involved._

If she were to be honest with herself, Sayu disliked the kid for his handling of Light's things. He had taken almost _everything_ from Light's apartment after his death. And he fed her that bullshit line about Light dying because of Kira. _Which I guess was true in a vague sense. But that little bastard still never told me the truth._

With those parting thoughts, Sayu took the whole day off to rest both body and mind. The all-nighter she had pulled was catching up to her.

* * *

It was a couple of days later when Sayu enacted the next part of her plan. _I have two years left, but my family is dead weight. I need to get some things done._ So she began packing. A few shirts, underwear, pants, and socks went into a duffle. Just enough to remain unnoticeable in the mess that had become her room.

The duplicate book of Light's future journal, at one point stashed under her floorboards, followed the clothes into the duffle. She also tucked in a few notebooks and pens, as well as her stock of snacks. Lastly, she grabbed the bag holding her kendo equipment. There was no way in hell she was departing without her shinai. _Not to mention the nice wakizashi I have tucked in there as well._

It had been hell saving (and stealing) all the yen needed to buy her wakizashi. Worth it in the end, now that she was finally leaving this hell hole.

It was also the weapon she used to aid her as the Shi no Tenshi.

Sayu grimaced at the thought of her moniker. She had seen the frequent news 'updates' on the case. No leads at all. No DNA evidence, or forced entry. The only problem was her own justification of the event. For the last two years she had become desensitized to terrible events, but her dreams flashed into nightmares of every experience.

That was why she had taken it upon herself to end their lives. They had stolen away what was left of her innocence, so she would take what they valued most. It had been almost hypnotic, the way their life clock drained down to zero before she stabbed them. Like she had always meant to be a killer in this farce of a second life. The King of the Shinigami dealt her a shit hand in the end. _Hell, he probably even pushed me over the edge._

After watching for eleven years as the death clocks of her family counted down, Sayu knew she would never be the same. She wasn't even sane anymore. The murders she had committed felt _right_ as she saw the red zeroes.

It was the other half of the reason she was leaving this place behind. _Only one insane Yagami can live in this household._

Because she knew her brother was already dangerously straddling the fence between good and evil. All the Death Note had done was made him choose a side.

Sayu quietly walked down the stairs. Her mother, busy in the kitchen, still managed to hear her as she opened the front door.

"Sayu, where're you going?" She saw her mother glance at the kendo bag and the duffle.

"I'm headed to a local kendo dojo. It's not too far from here. I just want to keep fit, mother. There're some competitions coming up and I don't want to fall behind." Sayu felt bad about lying to her mother, but it was what she had rehearsed if her kaa-san questioned her.

"Oh, alright. Just be home before dark. I don't like it when you're alone on the street at night." Sachiko headed back into the kitchen, humming a small tune to herself.

Sayu watched her mother go, feeling guilt well up inside her. There was no way her mother would know that this was the last time she would see her daughter in a while. _Who cares,_ Sayu consoled herself harshly. _It's not like she won't have Light here or anything. I bet they'll be just fine without me here._

She walked out the door without a backwards glance, anger and jealousy replacing the guilt inside.

A few blocks away Sayu set up a scene in an alley. It was a perfect spot, between the street cameras and covered slightly from the traffic on the road. She took out her wakizashi, stared at it a moment in indecision, then proceeded to chop off her long chocolate locks. The reflection in the metal on the garbage can showed choppy pieces of hair varying from just above her neck in the back, to bangs that swooped just beside her eyes.

It made her look more like her brother than she ever wanted it to. _I need to dye this soon. Maybe in a couple hours. Can't go around looking like a missing person, now, can I?_

She threw all of the cut pieces of her hair into the garbage can. Sayu knew this particular bin would be picked up long before she'd be suspected of missing. _And, just like that, no evidence of me at all._

Sayu packed up everything and slipped through the shadows of the alley way. She would not be Sayu again for a very long time.

* * *

Hyou pulled midnight locks out of her eyes. This was starting to get ridiculously easy. The killing, that was. But the pay was exceptional, now that she had proven her worth on the streets.

She took a silent breath before she struck the target. Her small wakizashi sliced cleanly through the neck, hitting the vertebrae. By then, though, the target could no longer scream. _Cut vocal cords tend to do that to a person._ But the man did have the sense to try and stop her.

Lithe and fit from running in the streets, Hyou evaded all advances, watching as his clock ticked down second by second. _He has seven left. Six, five, four…_

At three she was out the door, her target left gasping in a puddle of his own blood. It wasn't her messiest job. And it was by far not the cleanest she had done. _Not that I particularly give a shit about that guy. He raped seven women and had the gall to say he was innocent and lie to the court on the stand._

After a year and a half on the streets, Hyou had taken up some of the mannerisms of her 'brother', Light. The world looked rotten and depressing from where she was standing. Not that she helped with the whole 'rotten' thing. As the Shi no Tenshi it was rather hard to remain a paragon of innocence.

On the up side, her body count was almost the highest on record. Admittedly it was only because she signed all of her work. The insane part of her mind insisted it was so no one else could lay claim, but in the end she knew it was all for the sake of vanity.

She and her sibling seemed to have more in common than she had ever known. Too bad it had taken a deal with the King of the Shinigami to figure that one out.

 _The notebook drops tomorrow._ She reminded herself as she slipped into an apartment she had only just begun to rent. The landlord didn't ask questions as long as she paid her rent in full two weeks before it was due. And she never volunteered any information on how she had the money to do so. It all worked out in the end. Especially because said landlord allowed for shady wire transfers when she wasn't in town to give cash.

 _Light. He'll be graduating this year. Wonder if I should go, even if he is Kira by then._

Hyou had been keeping an eye on her brother. The day after her disappearance the Yagami household had been in a complete upheaval. There was no evidence of foul play, but also no evidence of her leaving of her own volition. As the chief of the police force, Soichiro Yagami nearly had his entire force scouring the Kanto region for her. News anchors stationed themselves outside her house for endless hours trying to get an interview with any of her relatives. Eventually, Light had assuaged their curiosity with a brief statement.

During all of this, Sayu dyed her shortened hair black, and acquired blue contact lenses. The police never suspected her. And that was the way it stayed.

 _And now, the Shi no Tenshi is one of the best assassins in the world._

Hyou had travelled after she left, committing contracted murders in more than five countries throughout the world. But with the dropping of the notebook happening in less than twenty-four hours, she had come back to Japan for her latest one.

Hyou wiped her blade clean of the crimson staining it. The task was complete in moments, and her head hit the pillow of her bed soon after. It took her a bit of time to fall asleep. After all, thirteen years was a long time to wait for the era of Kira to begin once again. The worry that ate at her insides for all of the past year resurfaced as she closed her eyes.

Finally, sleep snuck upon her like an old friend. She had six hours until her surveillance of her brother would begin.

* * *

The apparel Hyou chose for this particular excursion was typical of any male her age: baggy pants, sweat shirt, and a beanie hat to top it off. Light would be incapable of picking her out of a crowd, even if his IQ was through the roof.

Hyou's surveillance throughout the day was borderline boring. They only good thing that happened was the dropping of the notebook during Light's foreign language class. So at least everything was progressing the same. Hyou had worried her disappearance might change fate's strings. But that worry was all for naught, now.

She casually leaned against the brick wall outside Light's school when the bell rang. To her knowledge, Light hadn't joined any clubs. All he had was cram school after regular school. Just like he had done in her previous life.

That did not mean his social skills had fallen at all. In fact, Hyou knew his acting was still as convincing as ever. _And he's still as conniving as ever._

Her brother nearly walked past her before she noticed. There, in his book bag, barely concealed, sat the notebook that started everything. Hyou took her chance, knowing full well how perceptive her brother had always been. The precision of her movements was paramount to success, and she hadn't studied the art of pickpocketing only to steal shit from rich people. It helped her with her subtlety.

Thankfully, Light never noticed the quick tap of her finger on the cover of the book. He was too preoccupied with his thoughts. Hyou slipped back into the crowded streets as quickly as she had emerged.

Her surveillance of Light continued only so far as the street of her former home. Old missing person(s) posters littered the fences, becoming more prominent the closer she got to that house. All of them had the same picture of her eleven-year-old self, smiling as she clutched the flowers Light had given her on graduation. Hyou wanted nothing more than to rip them all down, because that was the last smile she had made as a true innocent.

Killing had forced her to bury her own emotions. To bury them even further than needed so the madness affecting her wouldn't taint them, too. She wondered often if madness claimed everyone eventually. Because she had traded for her fair share nearly thirteen years ago.

The next few days were boring. No contract kills, no fun excursions to places unknown. She did, however, do more repetitions with her shinai than she had in a long time. It helped her center herself, keeping the madness caused by the 'touch' at bay just a little longer.

Ryuk showed up on December third, exactly on schedule. Hyou had only stayed long enough in this place to confirm she could see Ryuk. And then she left. Because, why should she have to wait the next two weeks out if she just had to be on the bus to space-land on the twentieth?

She received a request to kill a man in Britain in two days. That gave her time to check out something she'd been dying to find. Light's journal held vague information about an orphanage that held L's successors. Near, Matt, and Mello had all come out of Whammy's House, after L's death, to avenge the man. She wanted to see what all the fuss was over some 'genius' factory.

And she maybe wanted to mess with L just a bit. In her prior life, Light had never included her on the specifics of his work with L. But the journal she had read held a description of both his features and his personality. _And he sounds like the original copy cloned to create that stupid bastard, Near._ _And, in this life, neither of them will be able to write me off as a pawn._

Speaking of Whammy's, she also needed to pay Mello back for that kidnapping. To hell with it, maybe she should just set the whole of Whammy's House on fire.

The insane part of her mind cackled with glee. _Might as well. I have nothing to lose at this point._

Hyou packed a small bag of necessities, readying herself for a rather long flight. _L, did you know, Sayu Yagami has completed her descent into darkness. And the monsters cower before her._

* * *

 ** _Sayu's suggestion of burning Whammy's House was legitimate. She's become a bit crazy, with the Shinigami eyes, the 'touch of death', and her second childhood as the culprits behind it._**

 ** _If there are any grammar mistakes or plot problems, please tell me. I will have them fixed as soon as I can._**

 ** _Thank you for reading!_**

 ** _~ Facade-sama_**


End file.
